Moistening device for transfer press



s. v. A. MALMROS ET AL 2,704,511

MOISTENING DEVICE FOR TRANSFER PRESS March 22, 1955 Filed Nov. 10 1951 INVENTORS 6.;4/7. M/JLMROS E. H; BAKER? ATTORNEY United States Patent MOISTENING DEVICE FOR TRANSFER PRESS Gustav V. A. Malmros, Binghamton, and Edmund A. Barber, Johnson City, N. Y., assignors to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 10, 1951, Serial No. 255,866

2 Claims. (Cl. 101-1345) This invention relates to a new and novel moistening means for use in a printing transfer machine particularly of the type for posting ledger sheets by the process of preparing a negative on the back of an original record, moistening the front of the original with a suitable solvent and pressing the back of the original record against the face of the ledger sheet.

An object of the invention is to provide a moistening device which is adjustable to provide the proper amount of fluid to an original record so that a clean and clear copy is obtained.

A further object of the invention is to provide a moistening device which is automatic in its action in providing a proper amount of fluid to replace the fluid used in moistening the original sheet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for feeding fluid directly to the platen'bail of a printing transfer machine.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical view, partly in cross-section, of a device for feeding fluid directly to the platen surface of a transfer posting machine.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and showing in addition means for feeding records and receiving sheets through the device.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. l.

The original paper from which the copy is to be taken is printed in a conventional manner on a tabulator, typewriter or other suitable machine and is backed with suitable carbon paper while being printed. The original may take the form of single sheets, fanfold or continuous roll. The transfer is accomplished by interposing a felt, or similar medium, moistened with solvent above the area to be transferred and then applying pressure to bring the felt, the original and the receiving paper together. The solvent dissolves a portion of the carbon from the back of the original and deposits it on the receiving sheet.

The present invention provides a means to regulate the amount of fluid that is used to moisten the sheet so that the printing will be legible, clean, and clear.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, the medium for applying the solvent to the area to be transferred comprises a felt 14. This felt rests in a fluid reservoir 16 and acts as a wick to lift the fluid out of the reservoir 'and around the hollow bail to carry it to a platen surface 18. The felt is held in place around the bail by a U-shaped clamp 19.

Reserve fluid is held in an inverted container 7 which is closed except for an opening leading into the ball 15 through a flexible hose 21, a pivot joint 22 and a tube 23. The tube 23 is positioned in the bail in a manner that regulates the level of the fluid 16; the level of the fluid being sutncient to cover the opening of the tube 23 In addition to the lead in from the container 7 the bad 15 has one other opening-an air vent 9. This air vent is opened through the valve only when the bad is 1a a downward position of its operating movement. Smce fluid cannot pass from the container without replacement by an equal volume of air, nuts 24 are provided on the valve plunger to adjust the air vent opening duration. Due to such control the hollow bed will not flood 2,704,511 Patented Mar. 22, 1955 nor will an excessive amount of fluid be carried over to the platen surface 18.

In Fig. 2 the original record 1 and the receiving sheet 5 are shown as continuous rolls. From their respective rolls, the record and the receiving sheet pass through feed rolls 4, under the platen surface 18 and over the table 6 to the record reroll 13 and the receiving sheet reroll 12, the original record being positioned so that its back with the negative record faces the receiving sheet.

The hollow bail 15 is provided with integral arms 17 designed to be slidably mounted in a bracket support 8. Lever arms 11, pivotly secured to each end of the hollow bail 15 by pins 25, provide the driving force for the upward and downward operating movement of the bail. These lever arms 11 and the feed rolls 4 are driven from a common source of power (not shown) in a step by step movement. The record and receiving sheet are fed in steps of one line or more and, as the shets come to rest, the bail plunges to its most downward position. Thus the platen surface 18, with the proper amount of fluid on the felt 14, is forced down on the face of the original record, dissolves part of the negative record and forces it against the receiving sheet so that a printed copy is made. As mentioned previously, the air allowed to pass through the adjusted valve and air vent, in one stroke, is of such an amount that compensation for the fluid used is made, i. e., fluid in the said amount passes from the container 7 through the hose 21 and the tube 23 into the bail 15.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for transferring printed information from an original sheet to a receiving sheet, a table, moistening and pressure means comprising a hollow bail having a flat external platensurface and having fluid therein, absorbent material extending into the fluid and around the outside of the bail, the material transporting fluid out of the bail to the platen surface, means moving the bail to press the platen surface, the original sheet and the receiving sheet together against said table to effect a transfer, means maintaining a constant level of fluid in said bail including a container positioned above said bail, having reserve fluid therein, and having a spout extending into said bail to a predetermined level, an air vent extending into said bail and movable therewith, and means for venting said valve to atmosphere when said bail is moved to said press position.

2. In a machine for transferring printed information from an original sheet to a receiving sheet, a table, means for supporting said receiving sheet on said table, means for supporting said original sheet in a position overlying said receiving sheet and with its printed side down, moistening and pressure means comprising a hollow bail having a flat external platen surface and having fluid therein, absorbent material extending into the fluid and around the outside of the bail, the material transporting fluid out of the bail to the platen surface, means moving the bail to press the platen surface, the original sheet and the receiving sheet together against said table to effect a trans-' fer, means maintaining a constant level of fluid in said bail including a container positioned above said bail, having reserve fluid therein, and having a spout extending into said bail to a predetermined level, an air valve extending into said bail and movable therewith, means for venting said valve to atmosphere when said bail is moved to said press position and means moving the original sheet and receiving sheet past said platen surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 289,983 Cope Dec. 11, 1883 756,797 Peck Apr. 5, 1904 (Other references on following page) 3 UNITED STATES PATENTS 4 Copeland Oct. 17, 1944 Ford Apr. 23, 1946 Ford Mar. 18, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS England July 13, 1901 

